I am very disappointed with this two paragraphs.
A little disappointing was the feel of the manual shifter in my test car, which was ropy and unsatisfying to use. It feels like Subaru was trying to emulate a BMW shifter: the long lever and longish throws feel about right, but the Subie shifter lacks the precise, positive action of the Bimmer 'boxes. The clutch, however, is buttery smooth and easy to modulate for smooth launches.
Like acceleration, braking is strong and the brakes are also easy to modulate, but the pedal is soft, which takes away from the sporty feel that a car like the WRX should have. Subaru should have talked to the engineers who put together the Pontiac Solstice GXP I drove the week previous to the WRX. Drive the Subaru long enough and you'll get used to the soft brakes, but my main problem with the mushy pedal was that it makes heel-and-toe downshifts difficult.